An improvisatory, essentially indefensible, randomly configured tragi-comedy
(no great revelations are likely to be accrued from its consumption)

22 April 2006

Once more unto Goldcliff

A night of mothing put pay to a dawn raid, the birds didn't seem to mind though. Top migrant was a nice male Blue-headed Wagtail (see awful pics below) which dropped in with a few Yellows, unfortunately subspecies don't add to the year-list, but it was still a quality find. Three species, of varying quality, do count: Kingfisher, Whinchat and Sanderling (feeding with a small group of Dunlin on the foreshore). Other species worthy of mention included: 77 Whimbrel, 1 Common Sand and 40 White Wags. Perhaps the surprise of the day was the continued presence of the Porpoise, again feeding just offshore.

Addendum - it has just crossed my mind that the paleness of the grey head plumage and the relatively extensive white in the moustachial/malar region may mean the wagtail below was a Yellow x Blue-headed hybrid, sometimes referred to (presumably by people who like catchy MTV-generation-type names) as 'Channel' Wagtail.